


Leashed

by kittenbot



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, BDSM, Dom Castiel, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, M/M, Mechanic Dean, Night Terrors, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Soldier Castiel, Sub Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 15:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6057238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittenbot/pseuds/kittenbot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A good sub knows how to take care of their Dom when needed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leashed

Castiel tossed and turned, tangling himself in the bedsheets. His whimpering woke Dean, who immediately wrapped his arms around his husband. This was not the first time Dean had been woken by Cas’ nightmares. Ten years in the army, with six being the leader of a Special Forces team, had its toll on the man.

The dream was always the same. It was Cas’ last op on active duty. Somehow, the mission went wrong. The team was ambushed, and half never made it home. Castiel blamed himself, of course. He was team leader. The soldiers under him were his responsibility. Somehow, somewhere, he lost control of the situation. They later learned that the intelligence was false; a plant to root out the team. It didn’t matter to Cas. His people were still dead.

 

Dean and Cas had been together since their senior year of high school. While Dean had gone to work at his Uncle Bobby’s auto shop after graduation, Cas had enlisted in the Army. He didn’t necessarily want to, but his was a military family going back generations—all the way to the Civil War, in fact. It didn’t help things that Cas’ father was a decorated soldier. Brigadier General Michael Novak was a loving but firm father. He wanted all his boys to follow his footsteps, making the transition from military brats to career men. He wasn’t such a hardass that he refused to see if his boys were unhappy. He gladly supported Gabriel when he termed out and resigned to open his own bakery. Michael was just happy that Gabe had at least given the military a shot. And hey, his GI Bill paid for culinary school.

So, when Castiel opted for Special Forces training, his father couldn’t have been happier. Michael thought it meant Castiel would be career. Cas just wanted to find a place where he could do the most good. He’d trained in Martial Arts his whole life, winning competitions before he ever hit high school. He excelled in school and would have lengthy discussions with his father about strategizing and military history, and how certain battles would have been won if they had just done this instead of that. He’d been groomed his whole life to be a leader.

Being an exceptional tactician led Cas to becoming Commander of an Operational Detachment Alpha team. This also led to him being deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, any war zone they had a job for him, really. But he always came home to Dean. Dean had briefly entertained the thought of enlisting as a mechanic, but there was no guarantee that they’d be deployed together. Cas also felt he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on his mission if he was constantly worried about Dean. So they both agreed that Dean would stay home and be Cas’ light in the darkness.

 

“Cas,” Dean said, quietly. He gently shook his husband’s shoulder, trying to wake him slowly. When Cas started kicking and shouting, Dean got out of the bed. This was not a nightmare. It was a night terror. They were rare, but they did happen. Dean quickly put on a pair of sweatpants and turned on the lights. There was an incense holder on his bedside table, ready to go for just such an occasion, with a lavender and lemon scent. They’d tried many scents, and this combination seemed to be the most effective.

Once he lit the incense, Dean went to the foot of the bed and carefully pulled the sheet and comforter off the bed. He then grabbed Cas’ foot firmly and said in a booming, unwavering voice, “Rise and shine, Commander Novak!”

Cas bolted awake with a shout. They’d tried other methods to wake him from the night terrors, but those had ended…violently. Cas would wake up thinking he was back in the sandbox, so his instincts were on high alert and he lashed out. If Dean woke him up sounding like his commanding officer, sometimes Cas woke up thinking he was back on base. Sometimes. Today was not one of those times.

He was pointing his arm at Dean, as if to aim his firearm at him. Within a few ragged breaths, the aroma in the room started to work its way to the soldier’s brain. Lavender, lemon; both calming, centering scents. Nothing like the smoke and sand and blood.

“Dean?” he said shakily. “Oh, God, Dean. I’m so sorry.” He melted in on himself, which brought his husband back within seconds.

“Shh, shh, none of that now,” Dean said, wrapping his arms tight around Castiel from behind. “Same dream?” he asked, knowing the answer.

“Actually, no. Well, yes, but the end was different.” Castiel took a shaky breath and gladly accepted the glass of water Dean handed him. The water sloshed a bit, but it grounded him to have something to hold on to. He continued, his voice very small. “They died, Dean. They all died. Inias, Alfie, Bart, even Hannah. That’s not the worst part, though.” He paused, taking a sip of water, obviously struggling with the next part. “I was walking through the carnage and…Dean, you were there. You were dead, and I couldn’t protect you!” Cas broke down and sobbed, turning his head into Dean’s chest, as if he could hide there forever.

“Oh, babe, I’m here, I’m safe. We’re both safe. And you do such a good job of taking care of me, of protecting me.” Dean knew he was never in any danger, that he didn’t need Cas to protect him. But Cas needed to feel in control. 

After several years of therapy, his psychologist had suggested that Cas look into becoming a Dom. It would feed his need to be in control, but in a structured, and not manic, manner. They talked about it as a couple, did their research, and even found a couple in the life to mentor them both in their roles. It turned out to be the best decision they ever made, aside from getting married. It actually saved their marriage.

Dean was not a naturally submissive person, but he would submit for Cas. He loved his husband more than anything in the world, and if Cas needed Dean to be his sub, then so be it. They usually scened a few times a week, more if Cas was having a difficult time. When Cas was having episodes, it actually calmed him to scene with Dean. The Dom carefully planned out the scene, prepared all the items and the space they would use, and execute the plan to the letter. On the outside, he was regaining control of his environment. The bigger benefit was that he was regaining control of himself, of his fears and anxieties. 

Through learning how to become a Dom, Castiel was able to function in society again. He got a degree in teaching and taught history at the local university. Most days were fine. Days like today happened rarely. Dean wondered what triggered it.

Especially since the usual calming techniques they used weren’t very effective at the moment. Dean had brought the comforter back up and snuggled them into it, but his husband was still shaking. The aromatherapy seemed to have helped the all-out panic, but he was still mumbling over and over about his entire team being dead.

“Can you tell me what triggered this? You haven’t had a night terror in almost a year, babe, and I’m never in those dreams. What changed?” Dean prodded gently, having learned over the years how to form his questions without compounding the problem.

“I don’t know. Today was a normal day, like any other, except…” he trailed off.

“Except what?” Dean asked quietly, while lightly running his hand up and down Cas’ torso, letting him feel his husband’s presence.

“Except that one of my co-workers…he found out during a class that his wife was in a car accident and was in the hospital. I started thinking about what if something like that happened to you. I don’t think I would be able to handle it if something happened to you.” 

“Mmmm, I can see how that would trigger you. I’m sorry you feel this way right now. I know you worry about me, so you know that I’m very careful. I don’t text and drive, I always use a crosswalk and look both ways, I observe my surroundings like you taught me. Because I know that you need me safe.” Dean also knew that sometimes Cas needed a reminder of the lengths that Dean went to to minimize the risk of an accident happening. Again, Dean was happy to, if it made the love of his life feel better. They were small concessions, really.

“I know, Dean, and I’m so grateful that you do all those things for me. I know I’m not the easiest to live with, but—”

“Hey, stop that. I have you here, with me, in one piece and never going on a mission again. So what if I have to follow a few more rules. If those rule keep us together and you actually living life, instead of barely surviving… You know I’d walk through fire for you,” he finished, placing small kitten kisses behind Cas’ ear as he held his husband close. 

Dean could feel Cas relax a little bit, but he was still skittish and anxious. “I’ll be right back. Will you be okay for a few minutes?” he asked, turning Cas’ head so he could look into the bluest of blue eyes.

“Yes, I’ll be alright. Just…don’t be gone long, okay?”

“I won’t,” he promised. With that, he got out of bed and tucked the comforter tight around his husband. Within two minutes he was back, having dimmed the lights by half.

Castiel could see in the dim light that Dean had gone into their play room and put on his collar. Castiel may have given Dean the collar, but Dean was always the one to put it on. It was his signal to Cas that he consented to and was ready for whatever was to come. Then Cas would remove it, signaling the end of the scene.

As Dean came around to Cas’ side of the bed, the Dom heard a familiar faint jingling sound. Dean had retrieved his leash, as well. Cas looked at Dean, confused. Dean waited until he had Cas’ full attention, then slowly and deliberately attached the leash to his collar. He then held out the handle to Cas, which he took gingerly.

“Dean, I—“ Dean cut Cas off, though, with a finger on his lips. 

Without a word, Dean crawled back into bed and snuggled up to Cas, pulling Cas’ arm around his shoulders. He positioned Cas’ hand that held the leash to rest on the Dom’s chest and placed his own on top of it. With a quick peck to the cheek, Dean settled back in and made like he was going back to sleep.

That was when it hit Castiel what Dean had done for him. He gave his Dom control. The nightmares always took away Cas’ sense of control and he would be a wreck for days. It was why they had gotten into BDSM in the first place. It was something that Cas could control. And Dean loved Cas enough to submit and relinquish control. 

His sub was taking care of him.

It was also the best rest Castiel had in a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments? Questions? Concerns?
> 
> You can also find me at http://buffenator.tumblr.com/ I don't bite. Usually.


End file.
